Not long ago, we lost a true pioneer:  Gail Burns-Smith passed away unexpectedly on September 5th, 2009.  To all of us who work to prevent violence, Burns-Smith was a hero, and she is particulary in our hearts as we begin the month of October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, without her.  For more than 25 years, Burns-Smith worked tirelessly to focus attention on violence against women and to bring domestic violence from behind its closed doors into the public consciousness. 

Burns-Smith co-founded the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, a group instrumental in working with Congress 15 years ago to pass the National Violence Against Women Act. This watershed event was recently recognized by President Barack Obama, when he commemorated the anniversary of the act and called upon “men and women of all ages, communities, organizations, and all levels of government to work in collaboration to end violence against women.”

The Injury Center works closely with partners to end intimate partner violence (IPV) - the physical, sexual or emotional abuse by a current or former partner or spouse.  While many resources are dedicated to responding to violence against women after it happens or working to prevent its recurrence, our data tell us that all forms of IPV are preventable.  Our goal is to Break the Silence and Stop the Violence  before it starts.  To this end, we support youth targeted evidence-based programs designed to stop or prevent emotional, physical, and sexual abuse between individuals involved in a dating relationship.

A key strategy in preventing IPV is to promote respectful, nonviolent intimate partner relationships, fostering changes at individual, community and societal levels.  CDC’s DELTA program employs a coordinated community response (CCR), or an organized effort that coordinates the work of diverse service sectors to prevent and respond to IPV in a community. DELTA supports the work of local, domestic violence programs through public education, public policy development, training, technical assistance, and program development.

At the Injury Center, we celebrate the life and work of Gail Burns-Smith by carrying forward the task of realizing a dream we know is wholly attainable.  Join us!  Stop the violence!